The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1887-11-04

the station, painting, just as the cars
dashed past him.
Bound for Lorimer, Doc2" said the
station agent with laugh. ''You're
pretty badly left"
so it seems, )" painted the doctor,
and there's not another tonight. Do
you know anything of the accident
thcre?"
"No. Has there been an accidentl
the laugh dying out. Its too bad you
are left"
''Will you lend me your bay, Jack
SOM l can ride over there"
"With pleasure, doctor, but you don't
| mean"
Yes 1 do" said Stanley, harnessing
up the powerful animal.
But, my God, doctor there isn't a
worse stretch from here to Denver. A
mountain road, along precipices and
| chasms. Why you are mad to think of
it, even if there weren't blizzard rag
ing. Don't do it, DIR. Stanley"
Nonsense, jackson, this storm will
soon lift. Wish me a safe passage.
Good night"
Stanley pursued his way for some time
with considerable rapidity until he gain
ed the opening between the peaks, when
he was obliged to proceed with extreme
caution. The darkness was oppressive;
the intensely fierce cold chilled his very
heart, the biting wind blew in terrible
| gusts, which broke the snow into atoms
so fine that breathing was rendered ex-
ceedingly difficult. Every particle
struck his face like fue splinter At
length he halted, trembling anxiously
as he tried to shield the match while he
consulted his watch. But it was impos-
sibIe to fan the feeble light and he re-
sumed his way muttering:-
81 have lost my way, l should be at
Truetitt's now"
He knew that on each side were yawn-
! ing chasms and clefts, but how near he
came to death, God alone knew. The
whirling snow filled eyes and ears and
nose, and his cut and bleeding skin
caused him indcscribable agony. The
wind had rcdoubled its violence. He
leaned forward and sought to shield
himself from its fury by clasping his
arms around the horses neck. At that
instant, the animal halted, trembling
from head to feet.
My God, we are lostr' burst from
Stanley. lie was bcnumbed with cold,
his breath came in gasps, and he felt
that unless he could urge his horse for
ward he must succumb. He was just
making the attempt, when it flashed
upon him that the instinct of the animal
was warning it against danger unknown
to the man.
He backed the horse cautiously, and
then dismounting began to walk back
ward and forward by the animals side,
viii the fury of the storm increased,
and his steps became weaker and more
uncertain, and the belief that death was
near grew stronger in Stanley's soul.
lie WAS SlnhlnS IuIO TIC 4CIlldISy VI
despair when, like a dream of heaven
came the thought of Alice and her
child; Alice whom he had coaXed into
this wild land only to let her drink of
the cup of happiness that she might
know the bitterness of its drcgs, Doubt
less she was praying for him now, poor
girl. Then he pictured her watching
for his coming, day after day, while the
shadows fell heavily and more heavily
upon her dear face, and at last, some
traveller would stumble upon him-and
then
He could go no farther with his inn
aginings. His heart seemed bursting
and with a great effort he cried: "Oh,
save me, save me! Not for my sake, o
merciful Father, but theirsr'
As in answer to his prayer, his spirits
rose in brightest exultation; the blood
seemed to course through his veins like
liquid fire. He felt an insane impulse to
leap, but his feet were heavy as lead.
He shouted, laughed and sang. His
| mlnu CO1Ien DIdIeu I1c ulO7I cuCIldutIuS
visions, and before his eyes floated the
most beautiful colOrs. He felt capable
of defying anything and everything.
And yet through this horrible hallucina-
ton. a dual self seemed to direct his
movements, and preserve him. AT
length, he made one desperate effort,
and gained the saddle, then winding his
arms again around the horses neck,
prayed God to enable him to hold out
till dawn.
He resumed his march, but try as he
would his steps dragged, faltered,
halted, and he tumbled into the snow
With q whinny the shivering horse fell
alongside him.
With the coming of the gray day, the
wind died into a suIlen murmur. and the
snow fell lightly, almost caressingly OIL
the PROSTATE figure.
''Stiddy thar, Zeker' cried a voice.
: as two men came from an abrupt open
ing, and toiied along through the drifts
''Gracious, we was wise to make a camI
, in that ere cross cut, wasn't we?"